A Mother's Wish Page 12

  Effie acknowledged this accolade to her son with a brief nod of her head as she struggled to control her emotions. She had panicked needlessly, but the relief of stepping into a scene of such normality was almost overpowering. ‘I’ll be back after the first show, Jessie.’

  ‘We might come and watch,’ Jessie said, wiping Georgie’s mouth with her apron. ‘It’s one way to keep the nippers quiet, if I can smuggle them in under the canvas.’

  Effie slipped out of the caravan safe in the knowledge that Georgie was in good hands. Jessie might only be a child but she was probably more reliable than many girls twice her age. Effie was about to make her way to Leah’s stall when Gert hailed her. ‘Come here for a moment, Effie.’

  She approached the caravan where Gert was perched on the steps, smoking a clay pipe. ‘Did you want me, Gert?’

  ‘I see trouble in the smoke,’ Gert said tersely. ‘Laila saw it in the crystal, and now I see it in the smoke. I see money changing hands and there’s someone close to you who’s in danger. Do you understand what I’m saying?’

  The blood thundered in Effie’s ears, drowning out the sounds of the children playing and the music from the merry-go-round. She closed her eyes, picturing Tom’s face.

  ‘Don’t pay no mind to him who wants you when he has no right.’ Gert said softly. ‘You know what you must do, so don’t delay.’

  At a loss for words, Effie raised her hand in acknowledgement of Gert’s warning. She felt as though she had turned to stone, but somehow she managed to put one foot in front of the other as she went in search of Toby. She found him haggling over money with a rotund man wearing a mustard-yellow check suit and a bowler hat.

  ‘Toby, I must speak to you.’

  The fat man took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. ‘Go away, little lady. This is business.’

  Toby put his arm around Effie’s shoulders. ‘No. You stay, Effie.’

  ‘You’re not making a friend here, mate,’ the man snarled. ‘You’ll pay the extra or I’ll take the mare back.’

  ‘We had a deal,’ Toby said, shaking his head. ‘You agreed the sum and we shook hands on it.’

  ‘Please come away,’ Effie said, eyeing the angry man warily.

  He shook his fist at her. ‘Keep out of this, missis.’

  ‘Give us a moment, cully,’ Toby said affably. He lowered his voice. ‘What’s up, Effie?’

  She glanced nervously at the fat man who was mopping his brow with a crimson silk handkerchief. ‘Can we talk in private, Toby?’

  ‘I’ve seen you, missis,’ the man said, pushing his face close to Effie’s. ‘I’ve seen you in the ring being tossed about and showing your drawers to all and sundry. You live in one of them painted vans like the other sluts. There’s a name for women like you. Now clear off before—’ His last words were lost as Toby took a swing at him, catching him on the jaw and sending him sprawling on the ground.

  A crowd materialised as if from nowhere, calling for a fight, but at that moment Frank came striding up and grabbed Toby by the collar. ‘What the hell d’you think you’re doing, Tapper?’

  ‘Leave him alone,’ Effie cried. ‘It’s not his fault.’

  Frank turned an angry face to her. ‘Go away. This has nothing to do with you.’

  Toby struggled free. ‘It has everything to do with her. That man insulted Effie. I’ll not stand for it.’

  ‘You won’t stand for it? Effie belongs to me. She’ll have nothing to do with you.’ Frank lashed out with his fist, striking Toby on the side of his head. The blow sent him staggering into the fat man who had scrambled to his feet, only to be knocked down again like a skittle. He bounced back up, roaring with rage, but was shoved out of the way by Barney, the man who operated the swingboats. It seemed to Effie then that every man in the fairground joined in the fight. Fists flew, punches landed. Blood spurted from squashed noses and cut lips. Women screamed and others egged the men on.

  ‘Stop it,’ Effie cried. ‘Stop it at once.’ She attempted to throw herself between Frank and Toby who had each other by the throat, but as she leapt she caught a fist between the eyes and spiralled into darkness.

  Chapter Eight

  ‘WAKE UP, EFFIE.’

  She opened her eyes to find something cold and wet running down her face. With difficulty, she focused her gaze on Leah’s lean face. Effie blinked and attempted to sit up, but found herself thrust back until her head rested once again on Zilla’s lap.

  ‘Take it slow, ducks,’ Leah said, mopping Effie’s brow with a wet sponge.

  ‘Is it over?’ Effie whispered. ‘What happened between Frank and Toby?’

  ‘I dunno, but I expect they’re getting a roasting from Frank senior. He wasn’t too pleased to find that sort of ruckus going on,’ Zilla said, stroking the hair back from Effie’s damp forehead. ‘It ain’t good for business.’

  ‘How’s the head?’ Leah demanded gruffly. ‘You was hit hard.’

  ‘It hurts,’ Effie said, squinting up at the patch of blue sky above her head. It occurred to her suddenly that they were not in the place where the fight had occurred. ‘How did I get here?’ In her befuddled mind it seemed to her that she had been transported by magic to the ground outside the show tent.

  ‘Arnoldo picked you up like a rag doll. You might have been trampled underfoot if he hadn’t stepped in,’ Leah said grimly.

  ‘When men get it into their heads to fight, there’s no stopping them,’ Zilla added sagely. ‘You were foolish to try to intervene, but I thought you were very brave.’

  Effie held her hand out to Leah. ‘Help me up, please. I’m quite all right now and I must find Toby and sort things out with Frank.’ Despite her brave words, Effie soon realised that she had been too optimistic, for as she attempted to stand the sky and grass seemed to change places in a whirl of green and blue. She leaned against Leah’s shoulder for a moment until the world righted itself. She took a deep breath and she straightened up, brushing the dust from her crumpled skirts. ‘I’m fine now.’

  ‘You won’t be if you go chasing after Frank and the gypsy,’ Leah muttered.

  ‘Leah’s right, ducks,’ Zilla said, rising to her feet in a swirl of hoops and petticoats. ‘Let the horse trader go on his way. His sort is nothing but trouble to a girl like you.’

  ‘You don’t understand,’ Effie murmured. ‘It wasn’t Toby’s fault.’

  Leah and Zilla exchanged meaningful glances.

  ‘It’s worse than we thought,’ Leah said gruffly. ‘She’s been bewitched by his Romany arts.’

  ‘That’s nonsense,’ Effie cried angrily.

  ‘You’d best forget the gypsy.’ Leah shook her finger at her, scowling.

  ‘Stay here where we can keep an eye on you and the boy,’ Zilla pleaded. ‘You’ve got friends in the fairground, Effie. Don’t go with the horse trader.’

  ‘You don’t know what you’re saying. I’m not running off with Toby. He’s helping me find my brother. We think Tom might be in danger.’

  Leah took her pipe and tobacco pouch from her pocket. ‘That’s different. But think carefully before you leave us, Effie. Let Tapper search for the boy.’

  For a moment Effie was tempted to agree with Leah. It would be so easy to allow matters to take their course, but Gert’s warning was still uppermost in her mind. She could not bear to think of Tom alone, hungry and possibly in danger. ‘I don’t want to leave you, but I know what I have to do.’ She threw her arms around Leah and gave her a hug. ‘You two are the best friends anyone could have, and I love you both.’ She turned to Zilla, planting a kiss on her whiskery cheek. ‘Goodbye, and thank you for everything.’ With tears in her eyes she parted from them despite their entreaties for her to stay. Closing her ears to their pleas, Effie returned to the scene of the fight in the hope of finding Frank and Toby.

  The crowd had dispersed, and the only evidence that remained of the fracas was the splintered remnants of the sweet stall. Arnoldo was hefting planks of wood back into place as
easily as if they had been matchsticks, while Ethel and Myrtle scrabbled about in the grass like a pair of demented chickens attempting to retrieve the toffee apples and sweets that the local children had somehow missed.

  Ethel looked up and smiled. ‘Where are you off to in such a hurry, Effie?’

  ‘It’s complicated,’ Effie said, unwilling to waste any more time with explanations.

  ‘She said yes,’ Arnoldo announced proudly as he set the trestles back in place. ‘I’m the happiest man on earth.’

  ‘Oh, you do exaggerate, Arnie,’ Ethel said, blushing. ‘He was ever so brave, Effie. Did you see my Arnie break up the fight? He’s a real hero.’

  ‘She didn’t see nothing, you silly tart.’ Myrtle rose to her feet, staggering beneath the weight of an apron filled with sweets and toffee apples. ‘She had a bang on the napper that would have felled an ox. Got a headache, love?’

  ‘I’m all right, ta,’ Effie said, forcing her lips into a smile. ‘Congratulations, Arnie, and you too, Ethel; I’m sure you’ll be very happy.’

  ‘You ain’t running away, are you, Effie?’ Ethel asked anxiously. ‘You must stay to dance at our wedding.’

  ‘You can’t go now,’ Arnoldo added, abandoning the planks and moving to Ethel’s side. He raised her to her feet, dusting her down like a mother with a child that had tumbled over in the playground. ‘There’s the act, Effie. You’re the best assistant I’ve ever had.’

  She smiled despite the pain in her head. ‘You’ve got the perfect partner standing by your side, Arnoldo. I’m surprised you never asked Ethel to do it in the first place.’

  ‘I dunno why I didn’t think of it before.’ He picked Ethel up and twirled her over his head, catching her in his arms as she fell. ‘Will you, my duck? Will you give up helping Dr Destiny and that blooming blacksmith, and be my partner in work as well as in life?’

  Effie didn’t wait to hear Ethel’s answer. She took the opportunity to slip away and went in search of Frank, but no one had seen him since the fight, although Jed suggested that she try Frank senior’s caravan where Mrs Tinsley was probably patching her son up, scolding him and fussing over him in turns. Effie decided reluctantly that it would be best to avoid confrontation with Frank’s overprotective parents. Her heart might feel as though it were breaking at the thought of leaving Frank, but a small worm of doubt had wriggled into her mind. She had seen a different side to him when he started the fight, and she had not liked the way he had spoken of her as a mere chattel that belonged exclusively to him. Perhaps it would be better for all concerned if she slipped away with Toby.

  Almost without thinking she had made her way back to her caravan. Outside in the hot summer sunshine, the children were playing on the hard-baked turf and Georgie was amongst them, making as much noise as his companions. Not wanting to spoil his fun, Effie left him to his game. She went inside the van to pack up their belongings and she was in the middle of wrapping her precious china fairings when Toby arrived. He was dirty and dishevelled with a split lip and the beginnings of a black eye.

  ‘You’re hurt,’ Effie said anxiously. ‘Let me bathe that cut lip for you, and perhaps Gert will make up something for your poor eye. If not we could buy something from Dr Destiny.’

  ‘I’m all right, but how are you? You should never come between two blokes fighting, Effie.’

  ‘I’m fine now. I’ll be ready in two ticks.’

  Toby stared meaningfully at the pile of objects laid out on her bunk. ‘I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave all that behind.’

  She stared at him blankly. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘We have to travel light. You can’t bring anything that won’t fit into a saddlebag.’

  ‘But these are my things, Toby.’ Effie glanced round the cosy interior of the van which had become home. ‘I knew I couldn’t take the caravan as it was loaned to me, but these things were presents from my friends. They mean a lot to me.’

  Toby took the china shepherdess from her hand and set it back on the shelf. ‘I’m sure the fairground folk will look after them for you, Effie. When everything is settled you’ll be able to collect your belongings.’

  Effie sat down suddenly as the full impact of leaving hit her. ‘But I won’t, will I? If I leave with you now Frank will think . . .’ She hesitated, unable to continue.

  ‘I know what he thinks of me,’ Toby said gently. ‘But I haven’t got evil designs on you. Forget him, Effie. He’s not good enough for you, girl.’

  She smiled ruefully. ‘That’s funny. They all say the same thing about you.’

  ‘And they’re right,’ he said, chuckling. ‘I’m a bad lot and don’t pretend to be anything else, unlike Frank Tinsley.’ He held his hand up as Effie opened her mouth to protest. ‘But we’ll say no more about him. Pack just what’s necessary and we’ll be off.’

  ‘I ought to say goodbye to Gert and Annie,’ Effie murmured. ‘They’ve been good to me, and I must tell Jessie that we’re leaving.’

  Toby shook his head. ‘There’s no time for that, Effie. Tinsley wants me out of here and we’ve got a long ride ahead of us.’

  Effie emptied the sack and began repacking it with a change of clothes for herself and Georgie. ‘Where will we go?’

  ‘We’ll start at the Prince of Wales. I’m working on the notion that Tom will think that you’re still on the Margaret, and Ben will know when she passed through Limehouse Cut and which way she was headed. Once we find out which direction they were travelling in we can follow the towpath. The lock keepers along the way will be able to tell us if they’ve seen Tom.’

  ‘You make it sound so easy, but we have to find somewhere to stay for the night, and Georgie is just a baby. We can’t sleep rough.’

  ‘I’ll look after you both. There’s no need to worry, love. I’ve got money enough to keep us going until the next horse fair, and hopefully we’ll have found young Tom well before then. You’ll have to trust me, Effie.’

  ‘I do, Toby, and I’ve got the money I took from Jacob.’ She slid her hand beneath one of the bunks where she had hidden the leather pouch, but her searching fingers found nothing. She went down on her hands and knees, peering into the empty space with a groan. ‘Oh, Toby. It’s gone. Someone’s stolen my money. It’s all I have in the world.’

  ‘There’s no time to worry about that now. Come on, Effie.’

  She sat back on her haunches, unable to believe that anyone in the fairground would have perpetrated such a crime. ‘Who would have done such a thing?’

  He helped her to her feet. ‘I don’t know, but we can’t hang about here. It could have been anyone.’

  ‘No one here would have stolen it,’ Effie cried passionately. ‘They’re my friends.’

  ‘We made one enemy today. I thought he’d been seen off the grounds by Arnoldo, but maybe he came back.’

  ‘Who?’ Effie demanded, clutching his arm. ‘Who do you mean?’

  ‘That bloke who tried to cheat me over the price of the mare. I should have known better than to have dealings with Slippery Sid. He’s well known from Bow to Bermondsey and he’ll be long gone by now. I’m sorry, Effie.’

  She stared at him, barely able to take in the enormity of what had occurred. She had been counting on Jacob’s money to keep them from the workhouse and now it was gone.

  Toby brushed a lock of hair from her forehead and he frowned. ‘That’s a nasty bump you took.’

  She brushed his hand away. ‘That money was our future. It would have rented us a lovely little house and kept us in food until I had found work. Now it’s all gone.’

  ‘It was tainted money if it came from the old miser.’ Toby slipped his arm around her shoulders. ‘You’re white as a ghost, Effie. Are you certain you’re well enough to travel?’

  ‘Gert warned me but I didn’t listen. If I’d only hidden it somewhere safer.’

  Toby took the sack from her hands. ‘Come on, girl. It ain’t the end of the world. I’ll look after you and Georgie.’ He to
ok her by the hand and led her out of the van and down the steps.

  Effie paused, taking one last look at the caravan. It had only been their home for a short time, and it had proved to be a haven from the troubles that had beset them, but it was time to go. Finding Tom was more important than anything. She took a deep breath and called to Georgie, bending down and holding out her arms as he ran to her with his small face wreathed in smiles. She snatched him up, cuddling him to her breast. Toby was right; money was unimportant when compared to caring for her loved ones. She kissed him on the tip of his small nose. ‘We’re going to have a big adventure, darling.’

  ‘Gee-gee,’ Georgie said, pointing to the bay gelding waiting patiently with its companion, a grey mare, which Effie knew was Toby’s pride and joy.

  Her heart swelled with pride. ‘That’s right, darling. You remember Champion, don’t you?’

  ‘He’s a bright boy, Effie.’ Taking Georgie from her and sitting him on the caravan steps, Toby tossed her up onto the saddle. ‘We’ll make a horseman of him yet, but I’m afraid you’ll have to sit astride, my lady, since I don’t possess a side-saddle.’

  ‘I wouldn’t know how to sit on one anyway. Whenever I rode Champion it was like this, only bareback. A saddle is a luxury.’

  Toby grinned as he picked up Georgie and handed him to his mother. ‘You won’t be saying that after a day’s riding, Effie.’

  Toby’s words proved to be prophetic. By the evening, Effie was exhausted and saddle-sore. The heat of the day had cooled gradually but now, as the summer dusk swallowed the vast expanse of Hackney Marshes, they were pestered by biting insects and a damp mist curled up from the boggy ground. Georgie had long since fallen asleep, and Toby had taken him for the last few miles when he became too heavy for Effie to hold. As the sun plummeted beneath the horizon, strange lights floated above the marsh, and the air was filled with noxious smells as gas bubbled up between the tussocks of grass and sedge. Frogs croaked in an eerie chorus, and the marsh seemed to breathe as the mud cooled with soft sighing sounds.

  ‘What are those lights?’ Effie whispered as they rode side by side along a narrow track which she would never have known existed if Toby had not been familiar with the route. ‘They look like ghostly spirits hovering and beckoning us to follow.’